A friend of mine just sent me a link to a really neat site highlighting the last remaining darkrooms left in London. The photographer is Richard Nicholson and you can see the site here:
http://www.richardnicholson.com/darkroom/
The images prompted a bit of nostalgia in me as I remembered the darkroom at The Museum of Natural History where I spent many an hour chatting with Jackie Beckett, the head photographer and student/assistant to (at various times) Minor White, Paul Caponigro and Ansel Adams. I also remembr my own makeshift darkrooms. At present I have two enlargers packed away and awaiting my move to a bigger house with my family. I still shoot tons of film and develop it in my friend’s darkroom in the Gramercy Park area of Manhattan (near the famous Pete’s Tavern). I mostly scan the film and put the images up on my website. I only make prints when a gallery is interested in showing my work and also for personal use to hang on my wall or to give as gifts.
A darkroom is a personal and sacred place. Time slips away and there is always just one more thing to do before ending the current session. It is idiosyncratic, a reflection of the artist, of how he likes to work and how he see the world.
Mr. Nicholson thank you very much for putting these images up online.
P.S. To my friend Diana who sent me the link – Happy Birthday! A bit early but what the heck. She will celebrate her continuing existence on Friday !
Force Of Seeing 